How to Choose Between Butter and Margarine

The next time you are in the grocery store and have to make a choice between butter and margarine, remember that taste isn't everything. Although most people will agree that butter tastes better than margarine, take into consideration these facts before making your purchase.

Instructions

1. Compare the amount of saturated fats in both butter and margarine. Butter has more grams of saturated fats than margarine, which are responsible for the rise in bad cholesterol and overall cholesterol levels.

2. Factor in the role that an elevated cholesterol level plays in the increased risk for heart disease. Be sure to look for a butter or margarine that is low in saturated fats and trans-fatty acids.

3. Recognize that not all margarines are alike. While all margarine once contained trans-fats, which can raise total cholesterol levels, there are now non-hydrogenated margarines available in a soft-tub variety.

4. Weigh the nutritional benefits. Whereas margarine has very little nutritional benefit, butter can actually increase the absorption of other food nutrients. On the other hand, butter contains more calories than margarine.

5. Listen to what physicians are saying. Many doctors agree to limit your butter intake and add to your diet a non-hydrogenated margarine spread instead.

6. Decide which is better for your budget. Butter typically costs more money than margarine.

Tips & Warnings

• Hydrogenation occurs when hydrogen is added to a chain of hydrogen molecules, which then produces trans-fatty acids. Hydrogenation is a means of preservation, and it is what makes stick-margarine solid at room temperature. By choosing a non-hydrogenated margarine in a soft-tub variety, the amount of trans-fatty acids is reduced.